Discover the Thrilling Adventure of a British Team Counting Penguins in Antarctica!

A Unique Opportunity in Antarctica

A British team is embarking on a five-month adventure in Antarctica to count penguins and engage in conservation work, making it one of the world’s most remote jobs. The team will travel 9,000 miles south to manage a base at Port Lockroy on Goudier Island and the Blaiklock Island Refuge.

The team will monitor gentoo penguins by counting nests, eggs, and chicks. (Jerome Viard/ UKAHT/PA)

Responsibilities and Living Conditions

Starting in October, the team will be stationed at Goudier Island, where their duties include:

• Managing the world’s southernmost post office and museum.
• Monitoring over 1,000 gentoo penguins by counting nests, eggs, and chicks.

Living on a football pitch-sized island, they will face sub-zero temperatures and will have to adapt to conditions without running water or a flushing toilet. Each member can bring just one small box of home comforts, such as games, books, and treats.

Meet the Team

The team consists of:

• Lou Hoskin - Base leader
• Maggie Coll - Wildlife monitor
• George Clarke - Post office operator
• Aoife McKenna - Museum manager
• Dale Ellis - Shop manager

They have undergone extensive training, including insights from a penguinologist.

Conservation Efforts

For the first time, a group of specialist conservators will travel to Blaiklock Island Refuge, UKAHT’s smallest and most inaccessible site, to conduct urgent repairs and restore historic buildings. The team will also catalogue artifacts and capture digital footage of the site, which is a remnant of a 1950s refuge used by scientists.

One of the key roles for the team in the Antarctic is monitoring a colony of gentoo penguins (UKAHT)

Commitment to Preservation

UKAHT CEO Camilla Nichol emphasized the selection of team members for their resilience and passion for preserving Antarctic heritage. The organization is actively fundraising to support this vital conservation work, aiming to restore Blaiklock Island Refuge before it is lost forever.

Port Lockroy and Blaiklock Island Refuge are among six heritage sites managed by UKAHT, dedicated to conserving British Antarctic heritage on the Antarctic Peninsula.